Business at the heart of successfully implementing the SDGs

In his remarks at the Forum for the Future of Agriculture, in Brussels, Belgium on 28 March 2017, Mr. Kofi Annan underlined the importance of agriculture for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.

“With the Sustainable Development Goals, the global community has adopted a compelling vision with ambitious goals. To successfully implement the SDGs, governments of all countries must play a critical role, but it is not their responsibility alone. Fulfilling these ambitions requires an unprecedented effort by all sectors in society, and business must be at the heart of this endeavor. The expectations are high, and so are the opportunities. Across the world, an increasing number of businesses are already looking beyond short-term profit to create value through sustainable solutions for society. Such decisions are not simply motivated by altruism, but rather by a clear understanding that social risks are detrimental to their bottom line.”